From The Heart
by ravengal
Summary: [Set in PokePark Wii] After saving the world, all Pikachu has left to do these days is battle, play games, take quizzes, play the attractions... and bumble around, trying to win the heart of a Buneary. PikaBun
1. Innocence

Author's note: Well, howdy! I love PokePark Wii (and lagomorphshipping) so much that I thought I'd write a quick fic on it. It was originally going to be a one-shot, then a two-shot, but... the story just continued to flow. XP

I didn't put it in 'Pika and Bun's One-shot Wonders', originally, because I didn't think it belonged in there. That collection is strictly an anime-based collection, where Ash and Dawn are the trainers of Pikachu and Buneary. Not that that matters _now_, because it's way too long to go in the collection anyway. XD

I also love the sequel, PokePark 2, but I figured I'd stick with the one that readers are probably most familiar with. Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter One: Innocence**

It was a lovely summer's day in the PokePark and Pikachu happily dashed into the Meeting Place after a great day of playing with all the water-types in the Beach Zone. Since saving the PokePark from impending disaster, as well as becoming best friends with all the Pokemon, including the legendaries, he'd had a lot of free time on his paws. Spotting a section of grass that was currently growing pink lilies, he decided to head in that direction. On the way, he accidentally smacked into Charmander.

"Ow!" Charmander cried out. "Seriously, Pikachu, you should watch where you're going."

Pikachu rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Sorry about that," he replied.

Charmander smiled. "Eh, no worries. Where you headed?"

"Oh, just got a friend I need to see about something."

"A friend, huh?"

Chikorita hopped over. "Hey, Pikachu!" she said. "Have fun in the Beach Zone?"

"Yeah!" Pikachu replied. "I had a lot of battles and games of chase down there!"

"Cool! Shall I give you a little quiz to help keep your brain sharp?"

"Not right now. I had something I wanted to do."

"Oh, okay! Maybe later, then."

"Yeah." Pikachu looked around. "Where's Piplup? And the Pikachu balloon?"

"Oh, Piplup said something about going off to explore."

"Yeah," Charmander added, "apparently, someone told him that the PokePark's much bigger than we thought."

Pikachu's eyes widened in interest. "Really?" he asked. "Wow, I'd love to check it out sometime!"

Chikorita beamed. "Well, you should ask Piplup about that when he gets back!" she said.

"I will! Thanks, guys!"

Pikachu dashed away from his childhood friends, only skidding to a stop when he reached the batch of pink lilies. Smiling happily, he plucked one from the grass.

Suddenly, Buneary approached him. "Hey there, Lightning Strike," she said.

He looked up at her. "Oh, hey, Buneary!"

"What are you up to?"

"Oh, just gonna visit a friend."

She paused for a second, then a light smirk appeared on her face. "Oh, I see."

He blinked at her, confused, then shrugged it off. "Well, I'm off!"

"Okay. Heading to the Meadow Zone?"

He blinked at her again. "How'd you know?"

"Eh, lucky guess."

"Sure was. Well, I'll catch you later!" He walked off, the pink lily in his paws.

"Yeah. Say hi to my sister for me!"

He paused and blushed. "Um... sure!" He continued walking.

* * *

Now in the Meadow Zone, Pikachu slowly made his way to his destination, carrying the lily. Jeez, if only he could walk faster while carrying things. He was tempted to put the stem in his mouth and dash, but he really didn't want to ruin the flower.

"Hey!" Ambipom called out. "It's little ol' Lightning Strike! Wanna battle?"

"Not right now!" he called back. "I'm kinda busy!"

"Oh, okay, then! Maybe later!"

"Sure thing!"

He really did love battling, playing chase and even taking quizzes, but he was on a mission right now and wasn't about to let anything distract him.

After ploughing his way through a barrage of Pokemon all wanting to play with him, he finally reached his destination. Pausing on the dirt path, he smiled warmly at the sight in front of him. There she was, the most adorable creature in the entire PokePark, chatting happily away to Munchlax.

Back in his home world, Pikachu honestly hadn't had much going for him. Sure, he and his friends had lived on the streets of a human town, but no human had owned any of them. They'd had no trainers and they hadn't been anybody's pets. They'd just lived there. When Mew had sent them across dimensions to the PokePark, they'd found a new home that none of them had wanted to leave and _still_ didn't want to leave. Why would they? Why _should_ they? They had everything they could ever want and need here.

The first Pokemon that he'd met after waking up in this new world had been Chatot. However, the bird had been a little condescending and not very easy to bond with. The second Pokemon, however, had been _her_.

_She_ had been the one to make him feel _truly_ welcome in the Pokepark. _She_ had given him the first sweet smile he'd had since losing his three best friends. _She_ had been the first one to be grateful for his help and his existence.

She had also, apparently, been the first to befriend Chikorita as well and had felt really upset and guilty when Treecko and Mankey had taken the grass-type to Venusaur as punishment for playing Bulbasaur's attraction.

Looking at her now, she was easily the cutest thing on the planet. Sure, she had a sister who looked exactly like her in the Meeting Place, but they still weren't the same. Her sister didn't have that certain light, that certain spark, that _she_ did.

Suddenly, she looked in his direction and beamed. "Why, if it isn't Lightning Strike!" she said, winking. He could feel his face heating up again. "What brings _you_ around here? Did you wanna play chase?"

"Or maybe he has a Big Berry!" Munchlax cried happily. He shuffled towards Pikachu and lowered his voice, looking around shiftily. "Just make sure you give it to _me_ and not Tropius this time, okay?"

Pikachu chuckled nervously. "No, I'm not here 'cause of that," he replied.

"Aww, nuts!" Munchlax slumped his shoulders. "Okay, then..." He shuffled off.

"Ooh!" Buneary said. "That's a pretty flower! Where'd you find it?"

"Oh, this? It was growing in the Meeting Place." He fidgeted with it for a second, then held it out. "You want it?"

Buneary gasped. "It's for me? _Really_?" She took it from him. "Oh, thank you!"

He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "No problem."

"You're a sweetie. One sec and I'll put this away!" She hopped off. Pikachu stood around for a while and waited for her, impatiently scuffing his foot on the floor. Eventually, she hopped back again. "Okay, I've stored it in my burrow! Now, can we play chase? I've been itching to play chase with you all day!"

"R-Really?" Hope glimmered in his chest. "Sure!"

She giggled. "Alright, I'll start." She hopped away.

"Three... two... one... go!" Pikachu started dashing after Buneary. In no time at all, he was way too close to her, so he decided to slow down.

After a while, she looked back at him with a smile. "Pikachu! You'd better not be going easy on me back there!"

He chuckled nervously. "Sorry!" He sped up and smacked into her, sending her flying. He cringed a little when she landed on her face.

Recovering quickly, she jumped back up and hopped over to him. "That was fun! But no going easy on me! It's no fun if you do."

"Yeah, but..."

"And I know you're a lot faster than me, but still!"

He rubbed his arm uncomfortably. "Even more so since training with Ponyta..."

"But that doesn't matter! You know the number one rule in the PokePark, right?"

"... Never go easy on your opponent."

She beamed. "Right! Because, then, they feel cheated out of a great match with the one and only..." She hugged him. "Lightning Strike!"

He was sure his blood pressure was going through the roof now. He chuckled awkwardly, which he seemed to be doing a lot of lately. "Okay, okay..."

The nickname that he'd been given somewhere along his adventure of collecting Prism Pieces could get a little annoying sometimes, since he tended to prefer being called 'Pikachu', but, when _she_ used it, it was extremely flattering. It might be nice if she referred to him as 'Pikachu' more often, though.

"Aww, isn't that cute?" Bulbasaur said.

Pikachu looked over at him and saw him grinning cheekily. It made him feel rather embarrassed.

Buneary giggled and let go of him. "Hey, I know!" she said. "Wanna play Bulbasaur's Daring Dash?"

"Huh?" Pikachu asked. "Oh, sure!"

"You're playing my attraction?" Bulbasaur asked happily. "That'll be five berries, please!"

* * *

Buneary giggled. "Dang it!" she said. "You always beat me! Maybe I should go to the Meeting Place and talk to Ponyta, myself."

"Yeah!" Pikachu replied. "He might agree to train you and _you_ can become super fast, too!"

Buneary hopped up and down excitedly. "Then you won't beat me so easily at running!"

Pikachu chuckled. "Yeah."

She stopped hopping. "Oh, it's always so fun when you come around! I'll bet all the Pokemon in the PokePark adore you! You're just the most awesome guy ever!"

He blushed. "Well, I..."

"And you're such a sweetie, handing out flowers when you're _already_ best friends with everyone in the PokePark!"

He blinked. "Wait... huh?"

"Ooh, I wonder what you've given everyone else? Do _roses_ grow in the Meeting Place? I'll admit, I don't go there very often... only to talk to my sister... and, occasionally, the Granite Zone to talk to my _other_ sister, though I'm not very fond of that place."

He was flabbergasted. "I..."

She giggled again. "Sorry, I'm rambling. I just think it's really sweet of you to give out presents."

"... Thanks..."

"You're welcome!" She paused. "Oh! I promised I'd play with Pachirisu! See you later, Lightning Strike!" She hopped away. "Thanks again for the flower!"

He forced a smile. "You're welcome..."

* * *

Pikachu headed back out into the Meeting Place and, instantly, Chikorita bounded over to him. Charmander was following behind her.

"Hey, Pikachu!" Chikorita said cheerfully.

"Hey, guys," Pikachu replied.

Charmander folded his arms. "You've been going to the Meadow Zone an awful _lot_ lately," he said.

"Huh? Oh, well, yeah, I guess..." He scuffed his foot on the ground.

"It must _really_ be fun over there, huh?" Chikorita asked.

"Yeah, pretty fun."

"Hmm, I wonder when Piplup's getting back. He said he might be a while." She paused. "Fancy a quiz?"

"Maybe later, Chikorita."

"Okay! Hmm..." She looked around the Meeting Place. "Ooh! Maybe Riolu would like a quiz! I'll be over there, talking to Riolu!" She bounded away.

After a few moments, Charmander turned to Pikachu with a smile, his arms still folded. "I think there's someone you like in the Meadow Zone."

Pikachu's face reddened. "_What_?" he asked. "What would give you _that_ idea?"

"_Oh_, I dunno. Maybe how you're always taking flowers to the Meadow Zone these days."

Pikachu laughed nervously. "Those are just for my friends over there! No one special!"

"Uh-huh, right."

Pikachu looked away. "Hmph..."

"I know you like someone over there, but I've no idea who. Wanna clue me in?"

Pikachu scuffed his foot some more. "... She's just a friend..."

Charmander laughed. "Oh, stop it. Just be straight with me. We're pals, right?"

Pikachu was silent for a moment, then he sighed. "Alright, fine. I... like the Buneary in the Meadow Zone..."

Charmander blinked. "The Buneary, huh? You mean the sister of _this_ one?" He pointed to the Buneary that was wandering near the entrance of the Haunted Zone.

"Yeah, her."

"Huh, okay, then... and does she _know_ you like her?"

Pikachu fidgeted his paws together. "Not really."

"Aww, come on, she must have, at _least_, figured it out by now."

Pikachu sighed. "Actually, she thinks I give _everyone_ flowers."

"Wow, really?" Charmander laughed. "Hmm, that could be a bit of a problem."

"Tell me about it..."

"Well, she sometimes comes to the Meeting Place to talk with her sister... and I've heard her tell her about how 'wonderful' and 'amazing' Lightning Strike is."

Hope dared to blossom in Pikachu's chest once more. "R-Really?"

"Mmm-hmm... so, who knows? Maybe you've got a shot at this."

Pikachu paused, thinking things over. "Yeah... maybe..."

"Now, I'm not exactly the _best_ Pokemon to talk to about love..."

Pikachu laughed nervously. "'Love' might be a _little_ too strong a word..."

"But I think Chikorita's a good source of information. You should talk to her when she comes back."

"... Yeah. I _guess_ I could give it a try..."

Charmander very gently prodded him in the chest with his claw. "_That's_ the spirit!"

Pikachu chuckled nervously again. What was he getting himself into?


	2. Timidity

Author's note: _Well_, it seems I was wrong yet again! XD This thing was, once again, too long, so it's now a three-parter! Hope you enjoy it! Maybe it'll extend _again_! Who knows at this point?

* * *

**Chapter Two: Timidity**

"You like the Meadow Zone Buneary?" Chikorita asked, her ruby eyes glittering with excitement.

Pikachu rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Yeah," he replied.

"Wow, that's great! You're now the first of us to get a crush in the PokePark!"

Pikachu chuckled. "Yeah, I guess so."

"You really are," Charmander added. "The rest of us haven't found anyone we like yet."

"So, are you gonna ask her out?" Chikorita asked.

"Well..." Pikachu replied, "that's kinda what I needed help with."

"Oh?"

"See," Charmander said, "this gal hasn't got a clue that he likes her, despite how... 'subtle' he's being." Pikachu blushed at the comment.

"Ohhh, I see! Well, I can help you with that!"

Pikachu felt hopeful. "You can?" he asked.

"Of course! I had _plenty_ of crushes before coming to the PokePark!"

Charmander gave a light smirk. "Yeah, we know," he said.

"My advice is to not just _tell_ her how you feel, but _show_ her how you feel! Take her places she's never been! Tell her things she's never heard!"

Pikachu chuckled awkwardly. "A bit of a romantic, aren't we?" he asked.

Chikorita giggled. "Who, me? Nahhhh!" She paused. "Weeeell, maybe a little!"

"A lot," Charmander added.

"Whatever! All I'm saying is, whatever you do or say should come from the heart. You're an amazing guy, Pikachu... everyone in the PokePark thinks so... so I think she'd be thrilled to be your mate."

Pikachu nervously rubbed his arm. "Yeah?" he asked.

Chikorita nodded. "Yep!"

"... Thanks, Chikorita. I'll keep that in mind."

"And good luck asking her out! I just know she'll go for you!"

"I second that!" Charmander added.

"Thanks, you guys," Pikachu replied.

"Look out below!" Piplup called out.

The three of them looked up to see the Pikachu balloon, which was carrying Piplup, slowly drifting towards the ground. Once it landed, Piplup jumped out.

"Hey, Piplup!"

"Hi, Pikachu! Hi, guys! You'll never guess what I found!"

"What?" Chikorita asked.

"There's a whole other PokePark out there that we haven't explored yet!"

"Wow, really?" Charmander asked.

"Yeah! I was playing on Seasong Beach _all_ day! It was awesome! I made friends with all _sorts_ of Pokemon! Even an Oshawott!"

Pikachu glowed with excitement. "An Oshawott, huh?" he asked. "I just _have_ to check that out!" He paused. "Oh, but I have something _else_ to do first."

"Right!" Chikorita said. "Because, if you go to this _other_ PokePark, you might not come back for a while!" She giggled. "We all know how much you love to explore!"

Pikachu chuckled. "Yeah."

"Huh?" Piplup asked. "You have _other_ stuff to do? Like what?"

Pikachu grinned and scratched his head. "Um..."

Charmander and Chikorita looked at each other. "Do _you_ wanna tell him, or should I?" Charmander asked.

"Not it!" Chikorita replied with a bright smile.

Charmander sighed. "Fine..."

* * *

The next day, Pikachu woke up inside his giant treehouse home. After doing some stretching and yawning, he plodded over to the balcony and sat down, looking out at the gorgeous view. After a while, Piplup came over and sat beside him.

"Morning, Pikachu!" he said.

"Morning, Piplup!" Pikachu replied.

Piplup scratched his head with his flipper. "So, did I dream it, or did you really say you have a crush yesterday?"

A light blush appeared on Pikachu's face. Jeez, he was blushing a lot lately. "Yeah, I said it."

"Wow... and on the Meadow Zone Buneary? Why her?"

Pikachu smiled fondly into the distance. "She's just... special to me."

"You mean she's not like all the _other_ Pokemon in the PokePark?"

Pikachu laughed. "Of _course_ not! She's playful and adorable and really sweet."

"If you say so." Piplup paused. "Man... it's so weird seeing you with a crush!"

Pikachu chuckled. "Yeah, I know... but there's just something about her."

"Well, if you're planning on making her your mate, then good luck!"

"Thanks, Piplup."

"And then you can come visit Seasong Beach with me! You can even bring her along!"

"Sounds fun!"

"When you go," Chikorita suddenly said from behind them, "be sure to tell us all about it!" They turned to see both her and Charmander standing there. "Okay?"

"Wait..." Piplup replied, "you're not going?"

"It _does_ sound like fun, but I've grown really attached to the Meeting Place! It wouldn't feel right, leaving."

"Yeah," Charmander agreed, "same here. The Meeting Place is my home, now. Plus, exploring's not really my thing. I only go the Lava Zone, occasionally, and that's to talk to Blaziken."

"You too?" Piplup asked, looking upset.

"Hey, don't let _that_ stop you, though!" Chikorita said. "We'll be right here when you get back!"

"Yeah!" Charmander added. "And we'll be looking forward to hearing your adventure stories!"

Piplup smiled. "Okay!" he replied. "Thanks, guys!" He chuckled. "Now, we just need for Pikachu to ask out that Buneary and we can head out."

Pikachu blushed again. "Yeah..." he replied.

* * *

Once again, Pikachu was in the Meadow Zone, making his way over to the area near Bulbasaur's attraction, where _she_ always liked to hang out. When he arrived, he immediately saw her, sitting on the grass, smiling and bobbing her head from side to side, while humming a random tune to herself. She looked really adorable doing that.

"Hey, Buneary!" he called out, bounding over to her.

She turned to him. "Hmm?" she asked. "Oh, hey, Lightning Strike!"

"How's it going?"

"Good, thanks! And you?"

"Great!" He paused to awkwardly rub the back of his head. He noticed that she was still smiling.

"So, did you wanna play chase again?"

"Not today. I was wondering if... maybe you wanted to... hang out, or something?"

Buneary suddenly looked curious. "Hang out? Sure! What did you wanna do?"

Pikachu faltered. It would have probably helped if he'd had a plan. "Uh..." He chuckled sheepishly. "Well, I dunno. Maybe just go for a walk?" _Real smooth..._ he thought.

"Okay, sure!" She jumped to her feet. "Lead the way!"

* * *

They'd been walking for a while, over bridges and past various Pokemon, and Pikachu still had no idea where he was taking Buneary. He was growing more nervous by the minute, wanting to do something impressive, but coming up with nothing. What was he going to do? Meanwhile, Buneary just seemed to be enjoying greeting any Pokemon she walked past, completely oblivious to his plight.

"So, um... Buneary..." he said.

"Yeah?" she asked, her smile never faltering.

"Um..." He felt himself blushing again. "Well..." _Now what, genius?_ he thought.

"Hmm?"

"I... kinda wanted to know if you... Well, that is, if you wouldn't mind..."

She blinked. "What?"

"Hey there, Lightning Strike!" Torterra called out.

He turned to the grass/ground-type. "Oh, hey, Torterra," he replied.

"I'm feeling a little out of shape lately. How about a battle?"

"Well, I-"

"Ooh, a battle?" Buneary said excitedly. "I'd love to watch you two have a battle!" He looked at her to see her dark brown eyes sparkling. "I've always wanted to see the great Lightning Strike in action! I heard you're really good!"

He chuckled with slight embarrassment. "Yeah, well..."

"Come on, then!" Torterra said. "Let's battle!"

"Well, alright, then."

"Okay!" Torterra moved a couple of feet away and turned to face him. Pikachu got on all fours in preparation. "You ready?"

"Yup!" He paused. "Buneary, you'd better move back."

"Oops!" she replied. "Sorry!" She hopped back a few feet.

"Alright. Three... two… one... go!" He sped off in a circle around his opponent.

"Razor Leaf!" Torterra cried, firing off three rounds of leaves in quick succession.

Pikachu ran underneath the first round, then timed his movements perfectly and did a forward somersault over the other two, gradually closing the gap between them by running in smaller and smaller circles. Soon enough, he was close enough to attack.

"Iron Tail!" he cried, charging his tail with steel-type power and swinging it. It hit Torterra, who cried out in pain, and he quickly ran further away from the grass/ground-type.

"Earthquake!" Torterra stomped his front feet on the ground, but the area of effect didn't have enough range to reach him.

"Dash!" Pikachu dashed forwards and slammed into Torterra, stunning him for a moment, then made sure to keep his distance for when it wore off.

He'd gotten used to the strange new moves of the PokePark. They were certainly different from the ones back in the world he'd come from. Earthquake had barely any range and Dash was very similar to Quick Attack.

"Razor Leaf!"

Torterra fired off three more rounds of leaves and Pikachu continued his song and dance a few more times, jumping over the volleys, using Iron Tail when he got close and using Dash when there was an opening. Eventually, Torterra collapsed on the grass.

"Alright! I did it!"

"Way to go, Lightning Strike~!" Buneary called out, hopping over to him.

He rubbed the back of his head. "Heh, thanks!"

"Urgh..." Torterra grunted, pushing himself to his feet. "What a great battle! I feel rejuvenated! Thanks for that!"

"No problem."

"Well, see you later!" Torterra moved away.

"Yeah, see ya!"

"Wow," Buneary said, "you were incredible! Torterra's the toughest Pokemon in the Meadow Zone, but you took him down without even taking a hit! I knew you were good, but not _that_ good!"

He blushed, chuckling awkwardly. "Well..."

She giggled. "Then again, you did save the PokePark from being destroyed, didn't you? So, I shouldn't be surprised."

Gosh, this was embarrassing, but oh-so flattering. "Yeah, I did..."

"And I heard you defeated Mew in battle! I thought it was just a rumour, but, now that I've _seen_ you battle, I'm willing to bet it's true!"

He blushed harder. "Well, yeah... He challenged me to an obstacle hop, a battle and a game of chase."

Her eyes positively shone. "And you beat him at all three?"

"Yeah. It was how he let me be his friend... and the battle was really long. He didn't go easy on me at all."

"Wow, that is amazing!" She paused, then gasped. "Did you do it twice to become his _best_ friend?"

He chuckled, his heart beating bruises into his ribcage. "Actually, yeah, I did."

"Wow... that is incredible!" She beamed, blushing slightly. The sight caught him off-guard. "You really are the most amazing guy ever!"

Hope dared to blossom inside him, yet again. "Yeah?"

"Yeah, of course!"

"... So, then... would you, maybe, consider... um..."

"Hmm?"

Oh, he wanted so badly to say it. "Um, well, I was wondering if you'd..."

"Oh!" Oddish called out, waddling over to him. "Oh! Lightning Strike! I was just looking for you! Do you wanna play hide-and-seek with me?"

"Um, not right-"

"Ooh, hide-and-seek!" Buneary replied. "Sounds fun!"

Pikachu heaved a sigh. "Sure..." This was going to be harder than he'd thought.


	3. Determination

Author's note: Hi again!

You know, it only occurred to me last chapter how similar I've made this version of Pikachu and Buneary to Syaoran and Sakura of Cardcaptor Sakura. XD Totally unintentional, I assure you.

Also, yes, this will be a four-parter. Probably. Most likely.

Anyway, please enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter Three: Determination**

After playing with Oddish – and waving her off, as she headed in the other direction – Pikachu and Buneary had decided to grab a few berries from a nearby tree and sit on the grass while they ate them.

Pikachu had gotten very used to the strange berries in the PokePark. Unlike the ones from his old world, which were all different in size, shape, colour and flavour, the PokePark berries were all spherical and only came in three colours. The green ones were a perfect balance of every flavour imaginable, to suit the tastes of _every_ Pokemon, and the red ones were slightly sweeter. The gold ones, which were the rarest and hardest to find, were _incredibly_ sweet. Some Pokemon would kill for them, but they weren't really to Pikachu's taste. As for the Big Berries, he'd never actually tasted them, but they were red, so he assumed that they tasted just like the red berries.

He bit into the green berry in his paws and chewed, looking at Buneary. She was happily munching away on her own green berry, once again completely oblivious to his plight. Just what was he going to do? Would he ever be able to work up the nerve to ask her out?

She swallowed her food and smiled at him. "So!" she said. "Lightning Strike!"

"Hmm?" he replied.

"You've been _all around_ the PokePark, right?"

"Yeah."

"It's rare for me to leave the Meadow Zone, unless I'm visiting my sisters." She giggled. "Why Lopunny chose to live in the Granite Zone, I'll never know."

"Heh. Well, it's _kinda_ cool over there. A bit miserable, but still kinda cool."

"I guess." She paused. "Ooh! Maybe you could tell me a bit more about the _other_ zones? I really should explore more, but..." She smiled bashfully. "I get kinda scared by new things."

"Yeah? Well, there's nothing to be scared of!" He paused. "Well, unless you're visiting the Haunted Zone." He shuddered.

"I heard that place was really scary."

"It is. It's always dark over there, even in the daytime... and the mansion is full of ghost-types."

Her eyes widened. "Ghost-types?"

"Yeah, they can be pretty scary. I mean, I'm friends with them all now, but they can still be scary... especially the Gastly and Haunter, since they _love_ appearing out of nowhere and spooking me."

She gave a nervous chuckle. "Wow."

"That reminds me. I haven't seen Duskull and Dusknoir lately." He paused. "Or the Burmy I used to share my treehouse with. I think they said they were moving _elsewhere_."

"Oh, that's a shame."

"Yeah. I'll miss 'em, but we'll always stay friends, no matter _where_ they go."

She smiled. "Aww. Yeah, of course you will."

"Anyway... the Cavern Zone is _also_ pretty miserable. The entire zone is underground and everywhere's grey."

She laughed. "Wow, sounds just like the Granite Zone!"

He also laughed. "Yeah. The Lava Zone's pretty cool, but that place is _sweltering_. It's lucky I don't _melt_ over there, honestly!"

She giggled. "I'll bet!"

"I really like the Beach Zone. It's so pretty and peaceful over there and the Pokemon are super friendly."

"Sounds nice."

"And the Iceberg Zone is _also_ really pretty, but super freezing. I'm just lucky I've got fur... though that makes me wonder how the _Primeape_ survive over there."

She giggled. "There are Primeape over there?"

"Yeah and they're always really angry." He put on a gruff voice. "Outta mah way, ya jerk!"

She laughed. He glowed with a mixture of pride and joy at the sight. "Wow, that'd be really scary for _me_."

"Well, I'm used to them." He chuckled nervously. "Just gotta make sure I don't run into them by accident. _That_ always ends badly."

"You must have had a lot of battles over the time you've been in the PokePark." She paused. "Have you ever been seriously hurt?"

He blushed slightly at the caring tone in her voice. "Nahhhh! I mean, I've been roughed up a fair bit, but I've never been out cold, or anything!"

She breathed a happy sigh. "That's a relief." She beamed. "Can't have our little Lightning Strike out of action, now, can we?"

He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, which seemed to be becoming a habit. "Aheh."

"Seriously, though, I'm glad. It would tear the PokePark apart if you ever got really hurt."

He lowered his arm and blinked. "Yeah?"

"Of course!"

He smiled bashfully down at his half-eaten berry. "Thanks."

"No problem! So, do you have a _favourite_ zone? I'm kinda liking the sound of the Beach Zone!"

He looked back up at her. "Yeah, my favourite might be the Beach Zone... although I also like the Flower Zone."

She blinked. "The Flower Zone?"

"Yeah, it's just past the Granite Zone. It's grassy like the Meadow Zone, but full of beautiful flowers."

Her eyes shone in delight. "Flowers? Really?"

"Yeah, I think you'd really like it. A Shaymin lives there and she looks after the flowers... and you get a really beautiful view of the sun and clouds from up there."

"Wow, that place sounds amazing! I'm surprised Lopunny's never told me about it!"

He chuckled nervously. "Well, maybe she's never been there? I dunno. I needed three passwords before the Granite Zone Pokemon would even let me _in_ the Flower Zone."

"Wow, really?"

"Yeah." He paused. "Or maybe the zone isn't to her taste? Or maybe she didn't know how much you'd like it?" He looked down and fidgeted awkwardly with his berry. "I dunno."

"Ah well." He looked up to see her beaming again. "_You've_ told me and that's all that matters!" She giggled. "I'll just have to scold her the next time I see her!"

He chuckled again. It wasn't often that he bonded with Buneary, so this little time alone that they'd been having was nice. _He_ was learning more about _her_ and _she_ was learning more about _him_. If only he could work up the nerve to ask that one little question.

"Hey, Buneary?"

She paused on the way to taking a bite from her berry. "Yeah?"

"Um..." He blushed. Why was this so hard?

She blinked. "What's wrong?"

"Would you... um... I mean... would you...?" Gosh, he was so bad at this.

"Would I what?"

"Well..."

"Dude!" Mankey called out. "Lightning Strike!"

Pikachu sighed and looked up at him. "Hi, Mankey."

"I wanna battle! Let's battle! Come on, let's go!"

"Hey!" Shroomish called out, waddling over. "I was just about to ask him to play chase!"

Mankey turned to her. "I was here first! And I wanna battle!"

"But I've been waiting all day to play chase!"

"You wanna fight about it? Huh?"

"Guys!" Pikachu cried in exasperation. When they looked at him expectantly, he gave a sheepish smile. "Uh, how about I battle Mankey first, then play chase with Shroomish?"

Mankey did a back-flip. "Ha _ha_, yes!"

Shroomish pouted. "Alright, then," she replied.

Pikachu didn't really want to do this, but, if it would stop the two of them from fighting, then so be it.

* * *

Eventually, Mankey and Shroomish departed and Pikachu sat back down to finish his food.

"Good work avoiding that Stun Spore from Shroomish!" Buneary said with a bright smile. She giggled. "And I can't believe you knocked Mankey into the river! I'm surprised he wasn't really mad at you for that!"

"Heh, yeah."

"Oh, that's _right_. You've been trying to ask me something all day, haven't you?" She giggled and tapped her head with a paw. "Silly me and my sieve brain." She put the paw down. "What is it you wanted to ask?"

Pikachu paused, blushing once more. He really hadn't expected her to ask him this. It was rather sudden. "Well..."

He paused again, noticing that Magikarp was bouncing his way towards them. He turned and saw Weedle slowly sliding towards them on another side. He turned again and caught the eye of Ambipom, who waved at him.

It was no use! No matter what, he'd only get interrupted to play more skill games! What was he going to do? He needed to take Buneary somewhere where no one would interrupt, but where? Where in the PokePark could he possibly go?

"_My advice is to not just __**tell**__ her how you feel, but __**show**__ her how you feel! Take her places she's never been!"_

"_And I heard you defeated Mew in battle!"_

His eyes widened in realisation. Mew! That was the absolute _perfect_ place for them to go to be alone!

"Lightning Strike?"

"Hey, Buneary?"

"Hmm?"

"Have you ever wanted to see the Sky Pavilion?"

Her eyes widened. "The Sky Pavilion?"

"Yeah, it's where Mew lives! It's really pretty up there and I think you'd love it!"

There went her eyes, shining like the Northern Lights again. "_Really_? You'd take me to the _Sky Pavilion_?"

He chuckled nervously. "Sure! After we eat, you wanna go there?"

"Sure! I'd love to!"

* * *

Pikachu and Buneary headed into the Meeting Place, Pikachu making sure not to run too fast, so that Buneary could keep up with him. Soon enough, they reached his three childhood friends.

"Hey, Piplup!" he said.

"Hey, Pikachu!" Piplup replied.

Charmander and Chikorita walked over. "So, you finally did it, huh?" Charmander asked.

"I'm so proud of you, Pikachu!" Chikorita cried.

"Huh?" Buneary asked. "Did what?"

The blood surged to Pikachu's face. He ran over and slapped a paw over Charmander's mouth, laughing nervously. "Nothing, nothing!" he said rather loudly. "Piplup, can we take a ride up to the Sky Pavilion?"

"Huh?" Piplup asked. "Sure! You need to see Mew about something?"

"Kinda! Hop in the balloon, Buneary!" He felt Charmander smirk at him through his paw.

"Okay!" she replied, hopping into the Pikachu balloon. Letting go of Charmander's mouth, he quickly followed.

Piplup looked surprised. "Oh, Buneary's going?" he asked. "Well, I guess that means there's only room for one more."

"Oh dear..." Charmander said, still wearing the smirk, "guess we're sitting this one out."

"Aww!" Chikorita said with a bright smile. "Oh well! Have fun!"

* * *

"So..." Buneary said as they soared above the clouds. She was sitting on the floor of the basket, with her paws around her knees, for some reason. "Why _is_ this balloon shaped like a Pikachu's head, anyway?"

"Believe it or not," Piplup replied, "we found it like this! Who knows where it came from!"

"Really? How strange."

Pikachu would have preferred not to bring Piplup along – no offense to the penguin – but he was the only one who could effectively steer the balloon. If he'd tried to steer it _himself_, who knows what would have happened. It would have probably crashed.

Eventually, the balloon landed. "Alright, we're here!" Piplup stated.

"Wow..." Buneary said, hopping out and looking around her.

Suddenly, Mew floated over to them. "Pikachu!" he said. "Hi! I'm so glad you came again! Did you come to play with me?"

Pikachu shuffled awkwardly. Mew got so little company up here and he hadn't come up here for _him_. "Well, actually," he replied, "I was showing my friend around..."

Mew looked up. "Oh! Hi there, miss! Welcome to my humble home!"

"Oh... my... gosh..." Buneary said. She hopped over so fast, she nearly knocked Pikachu over. "It's Mew! I can't believe I'm talking to Mew!"

Mew giggled. "Thank you, miss, but I'm nothing special. Just living up here and protecting the Sky Prism!"

"So cool..."

Pikachu felt a sudden pang of anger towards Mew. "Hey, Buneary?" he said. "Lemme show you the _rest_ of the place!"

Buneary beamed at him. "Okay!"

"Mew, could you keep Piplup company for me?"

Mew blinked at him for a few moments, then smiled. "Okay, sure!" He flew over to where the balloon was.

"Let's go, Buneary!"

The two of them walked through the area, Buneary marvelling at everything she saw. "Wow, look at these pillars!" she said. "They look so ancient... and... oh, my gosh, is that a fountain?"

"Yeah, but that's not the _best_ part. Follow me." He led her around the pillars and up a slope.

"I wonder how this place stays in the air... Oh, wow! I can see the fountain _better_ from here! It's beautiful!"

"Yeah, it is. Oh, careful where you step."

He jumped over a gap in the slope, wondering why Mew still hadn't fixed that. Buneary hopped over it and followed him. They jumped over one more of these gaps when Buneary gasped.

"Oh, wow. Oh, wow!" She hopped over to the small stone wall nearby and gazed out at the four rainbows that were decorating the sky. Pikachu hurried over to stand next to her, noticing that she was blushing. The sight made him blush, too. "This is incredible... You have such an amazing view of the rainbows from here..." She turned around and gasped again. "And... is that the Sky Prism?"

He turned and looked up at the glowing rock that was floating above the fountain. "Yeah, it is."

"Wow..." He turned to her to see that she was positively glowing with happiness. "Thank you, Pikachu... this place is amazing..."

His eyes widened. She'd called him 'Pikachu'. It was rare that she did that these days. The mere sound of it made him feel warm and happy inside.

Well, now was his best chance, so he might as well take it. His heart hammered inside his ribcage. "B-Buneary?"

"Yeah?"

"Will... will you...?" He took a deep breath. Time to stop being a coward. It was now or never. "Will you go out with me?"


	4. Revelations

Author's note: Hi, everybody!

Yes... there's five chapters now, okay? Gah. This was only meant to be a one-shot, but look how long it's dragged on. Why I didn't fully plan this fic from the start, I don't know, but I'm currently kicking myself a bit for it. XD

Also, any similarities to Syaoran and Sakura of Cardcaptor Sakura are totally intentional this time. XP

**Chapter Four: Revelations**

Buneary stared at him, her eyes wide. She said nothing for a few moments. Pikachu shrunk under her gaze, waiting anxiously for her to say something. The long stretch of silence was agonising.

"You... You're... asking me to be your mate?"

His blush deepened and he avoided her eyes. "Well... yeah... if you want..."

"... Why me?"

He looked up at her. "Huh?"

Her blush deepened, too. "Wh-Why me? It just seems strange... that Lightning Strike... _the_ Lightning Strike... would ask _me_ out..."

"Well... 'cause you're cute and sweet and really nice and playful and..." His voice lowered in his embarrassment. "And you were the first Pokemon to make me feel welcome here."

"Huh? Really?"

"Yeah. I-I felt like an outsider in a strange new world... but _you_ made me feel like I belonged here." He smiled. "Not to mention, your face always lights up when you see me and you look really adorable when you-" He stopped himself and covered his face with his paws. "Gah! Sorry. Got a bit carried away."

After another few moments of silence, he peeked between his fingers to see what she was doing.

She smiled warmly at him. "Wow... that's incredibly sweet, Lightn- Pikachu. I'm flattered."

He felt a warm glow inside from her words, then realisation hit him and his heart dropped into his stomach. "... The answer's 'no', isn't it?"

She blinked at him. "'No'? I never said the answer was 'no'. I'm just surprised, is all!" She paused. "Wait a minute..."

He removed his paws from his face. "What?"

"All those flowers you kept bringing me... I was the only one, wasn't I?"

He quickly looked away and fidgeted his fingers. "Yeah..."

"And... you've been trying to ask me something all day, haven't you?" She paused. "Was this it?"

He felt himself shrink in embarrassment again. "Mmm-hmm..."

"I... Wow... I can't believe I never noticed..."

He looked up at her and was quite startled to see that she was staring at him, her face lit up in a blush and her eyes sparkling. He stared back at her, so many warm feelings welling up at once.

"So... So..."

"Hey!" Mew called out.

They both jumped out of their skin and whirled to face the pink cat. "Huh?" Pikachu asked, his heart pounding.

Mew blinked. "Oh... was I interrupting something? I just wanted to ask if you were done yet. Piplup's ready to head back."

Pikachu felt a slight throbbing sensation in his temple. "Mew, could you... please give us a minute? We're in the middle of something here."

"Oh... sorry! I'll be over there." Mew quickly flew away again.

Pikachu heaved a sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose.

Buneary giggled. The sound alleviated his headache slightly and he couldn't help but smile at her.

"So, um... you were saying?" she asked with a huge smile.

"Oh... right..." He lowered his paw and cleared his throat. "So, would you... go out with me?"

She beamed. "Sure! I don't see why not."

His eyes positively shone. "_Really_? You _will_?"

"Mmm-hmm! How could I say 'no' to that face?" She tapped him on the nose with her paw. "Besides, I _do_ think you're a really nice guy. You're super cute and super sweet... and you're always willing to play with me!"

He chuckled sheepishly. "Well..."

"So, are you going to take me on a date?"

He blinked. "Huh?"

"Well..." She grabbed the fluffy fur around her waist and started twisting it in her paws with a sheepish grin. "I've never actually been asked out before, but I know you're supposed to go on dates... Ooh, this is embarrassing!" She pulled her fur over her face.

He stared at her for a moment in wonder. How had she managed to make herself even _cuter_?

He quickly shook himself out of it and tried to think. "Well... hmm... where could we go?"

She lowered her fur and peeked over the top of it. "Any ideas? _You_ know the PokePark much better than _I_ do..."

"Hmm..."

"_I think you'd really like it. A Shaymin lives there and she looks after the flowers... and you get a really beautiful view of the sun and clouds from up there."_

He widened his eyes. The Flower Zone! It was the perfect place to take Buneary on a date!

"Pikachu?"

He lightly pounded his fist into his palm. "I know a good place. Let's head back down to the Meeting Place and we'll go from there."

"Okay."

Together, they made their way down the slope and back towards where Piplup and Mew were with the Pikachu balloon.

"Finally!" Piplup cried. "What took you so long?"

Pikachu cast a shy glance at Buneary. "Well..." he replied.

"... Wait... you did it, didn't you? The thing! You did the thing!"

"... He knew?" Buneary asked.

Pikachu rubbed the back of his head and chuckled sheepishly. "Yeah... all my friends knew."

She giggled and gave his arm a light tap. "You little sneak!"

"You're dating now, aren't you?" Piplup asked with a huge smile.

"Yep!" Pikachu replied. "We are."

"Yay!" Piplup bounced around. "Way to go, Pikachu!"

Mew did a mid-air somersault. "That's great!" he said. "I'm so happy for you!"

"Thanks, you guys," Pikachu replied.

Piplup stopped bouncing. "Now, let's head back to the Meeting Place and tell the others the good news!" he said.

Buneary shrunk back a bit. "We have to go in the balloon again?" she asked.

Pikachu turned to her. "Hmm?" he asked. "Of course. We can't get off the Sky Pavilion otherwise."

"Oh... okay."

"Come visit me again, okay, Pikachu?" Mew asked. "It gets a bit lonely up here sometimes, so I'd like a friend to play with!"

Pikachu smiled at him. "Sure thing, Mew," he replied. "I'll be sure to come back."

"Will you be gone long?"

"Um..." He gave a guilty smile. "Probably, actually."

"Aww... Oh well. I guess I can invite _another_ Pokemon over, while I wait." He paused for thought. "Ooh, maybe I can invite Celebi over! She lives just off the Meadow Zone, right? Maybe _she'll_ wanna come and play!" He paused again. "What does she like to play?"

"She loves chase... and she's a really fast runner... I mean, flier, too! I had to do a Double Dash to catch her!"

Mew giggled. "Sounds like the perfect opponent for me, then!"

* * *

"Congratulations, Pikachu!" Chikorita cried.

"Yeah, nicely done!" Charmander said.

"Thanks, you guys," Pikachu replied with a bashful smile.

"So, can we head out now?" Piplup asked eagerly. "I wanna go explore!"

"Huh?" Buneary asked.

"Not right now, Piplup," Pikachu replied. "I'm, uh... taking Buneary on a date."

Chikorita's eyes lit up. "Ooh, a date!" she cried. "How romantic~!"

Charmander chuckled. "You Casanova," he said.

"Oh," Piplup said, "well, have fun!"

"Aheh, yeah..." He grabbed Buneary's paw and started pulling her along. "Come on, Buneary."

He circled around his giant treehouse home and headed towards the Drifblim Stop. He was just about to say something to Drifblim, but another Buneary caught his eye.

"Well, well..." she said, walking over with a smirk on her face, "so you're together now, huh?"

"Sis!" Buneary cried happily. She paused, looked at their joined paws and giggled. "Yeah, we are."

"That's great, sis. I'm happy for you. You too, Lightning Strike."

"Thanks!" Buneary paused. "Hey, wait a minute! You knew about it, _too_?"

She shrugged. "Well, yeah. Lightning Strike was never very subtle. Like, at all." Pikachu grinned sheepishly.

"So, did everyone know, but me?"

"... You really didn't notice? Wow, sis, you're more dense than I thought!"

Buneary swiped her free paw at her sister. "Shaddap."

"Anyway..." Pikachu said, turning to Drifblim, "Drifblim, can we get a ride to the Flower Zone?"

Buneary's head whipped around, a big smile on her face. "You're taking me to the _Flower Zone_?"

"Why, certainly!" Drifblim replied. "Although... I can't carry two of you at once, I'm afraid."

Pikachu's face fell. "Oh..." he said.

Drifblim observed him for a moment. "However, if you really wish to travel together, I'll bring in one of my sisters to help."

His face lit up again. "You'd do that?"

"Of course! Just wait here and I'll be right back!" She lifted into the air and flew away.

Pikachu turned to Buneary. "That's awfully nice of Drifblim, huh?" he asked.

"Yeah! You're so lucky, being best friends with all the Drifblim. You can go wherever you want for free!"

"... Wait a minute..." the other Buneary said, "if you can go anywhere for free, why didn't you just take the flowers you picked for my sister on the Drifblim ride? Better yet, why couldn't you have taken some from the Flower Zone and flown them to the Meadow Zone? Then you wouldn't have had to _carry_ them there..."

Pikachu smiled bashfully, another thing he seemed to be doing a lot of lately. "Well, I _did_ think about that..." he replied, "but I really didn't wanna risk ruining the flowers on the ride. Plus, there were some really nice flowers growing in the Meeting Place... which doesn't happen very often... so I thought it would be easier... and I _could_ have ridden the Drifblim from here to the Meadow Zone, but that would've made me feel really lazy."

Buneary giggled. "Yeah," she said, "it's not a very long walk from here to the Meadow Zone, sis."

"Not if you can run fast," the other Buneary replied, "which Lightning Strike seems to have trouble doing when he's carrying something."

Pikachu turned away and blushed.

"I'm back!" Drifblim called out. They all looked up to see her and one of her sisters slowly drifting to the ground. "Now, did you say it was the Flower Zone you wanted?"

Pikachu smiled. "Yes, please," he replied.

"Well, I guess I'll see you guys later, then," the other Buneary said, walking off. "See ya, sis. See ya, Lightning Strike!"

Pikachu turned and waved. "Bye, Buneary!"

Buneary also turned and waved. "Bye, sis!" she said.

"Alright, then," the Meeting Place Drifblim said. Pikachu and Buneary turned their attention back to the two Drifblim, who both linked their two front legs together to form one ring each. "Pikachu, you hop onto _my_ legs and, Buneary, you hop onto my _sister's_ legs." They turned around, facing the direction of the Flower Zone.

"Okay!" Buneary replied. She let go of Pikachu's paw and hopped over, then stopped, staring at the Drifblim's legs in confusion.

Pikachu walked over to the other Drifblim. "Have you never done this before, Buneary?" he asked.

"Nope. What do I do?"

"Just do this." He grabbed Drifblim's legs and hauled himself onto her legs on his stomach. "See?"

"Ooh... that looks kinda dangerous... More dangerous than the balloon..."

"It's perfectly safe!" the Drifblim that wasn't holding Pikachu said. "We Drifblim can guarantee that we'll never let you fall!"

"Well... okay..." She tentatively grabbed the Drifblim's legs and pulled herself up onto her stomach. "I'm ready."

"Alright!" the Drifblim that was holding Pikachu said. "Ready, sister?"

"Ready!" the Drifblim that was holding Buneary replied.

"Then off we go!"

Pikachu's Drifblim took off into the air and, instantly, Pikachu felt the familiar refreshing sensation as he left the ground. No more was he a grounded Pokemon. For a few minutes, he was free to live life among the birds, soaring high without a care in the world. It also reignited his adventurous spirit and he could hardly wait to head out with Piplup and Buneary and discover a whole other PokePark and all it had to offer. All the new places he'd see, all the new friends he'd make and all the new skill games he'd play.

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard a screech from Buneary as her Drifblim finally took off.

"_Huh_?" he cried.

He whipped around to see what had happened and felt himself slip slightly from Drifblim's grasp. He yelped, but Drifblim managed to manoeuvre her legs and stop him from falling.

"Careful, Pikachu!"

He ignored her as he observed Buneary, who seemed to be clinging rather tightly to her Drifblim's legs. He began to get worried. She hadn't nearly fallen off, had she?

"You okay, Buneary?"

"Y-Yeah! Fine!" She clung tighter.

He wasn't so sure that was true, but he decided not to press the issue. Instead, he set his sights on his destination: the Flower Zone.


	5. Anxiety

Author's note: Hi there!

We have reached the penultimate chapter! Meaning that there's only one more after this! That's right! One more! It's been a long road, considering this was only going to be a one-shot at first, but here we are!

Please enjoy!

**Chapter Five: Anxiety**

Finally, they reached their destination. Once Drifblim touched down on the grass, Pikachu hopped off with a feeling of satisfaction. He was almost certain that Buneary would like this place, as it was one of _his_ favourites. Not to mention, Buneary loved flowers and this zone had the most beautiful flowers of all.

He turned to his ride. "Thanks, Drifblim!" he said.

"No problem at all, Pikachu!" she replied.

Soon after, the second Drifblim touched down next to her, carrying Buneary. Pikachu's concern returned when he saw that she'd clenched her eyes shut and was shuddering slightly.

"Buneary? Are you okay?"

Her eyes snapped open. "Huh?" she asked. She glanced around, then heaved a sigh of relief. "Yeah... Yeah, I'm fine."

"Did you fall off at some point? Is _that_ what's wrong?"

"N-No..."

"I can safely confirm that I never once dropped her, or even came close," the Drifblim that was holding her said.

"Oh..." he replied, observing her for a moment. Why did she look so scared? He didn't understand it. "Here, I'll help you down." He held out a paw.

"Thanks..." Buneary replied. She grabbed it and lifted herself down. He gently pulled on the other side to help and, soon enough, she was on the grass. She turned to her ride. "Th-Thanks for the ride, Drifblim."

"You're very welcome," the Drifblim replied. She tilted her head to one side. "Though perhaps you should consider taking a _different_ route back to the Meeting Place?"

Buneary seemed to freeze for a second, then she gave a nervous laugh. "No, no, I'll be fine!"

"If you're sure."

"Yeah, I am!"

"Hey," Pikachu said, "if something's wrong, you can talk to me."

She turned to him. For a second, she seemed like she was about to say something, then she shook her head and smiled. "Don't worry about it, okay? I'm fine."

"Well... alright..." He wasn't convinced, but he'd go along with it for now. He grabbed her paw. "Come on, I'll show you around."

"Okay!" They turned around and began to walk. "Oh, wow..."

Before them was an open field, dotted with ancient pillars of unknown origin, and, behind those pillars, the sun was peeking out over the distant horizon. A Dragonite casually flew past, above their heads.

"It's pretty, isn't it?"

"Yeah..." Buneary turned her head to the right. "Wow..."

Pikachu followed her line of vision and saw the familiar dip in the landscape that led to the Granite Zone. "Your sister lives down that way."

"She does, huh?"

He chuckled at how big of a trance she seemed to have fallen into. "Yeah. Hey, lemme show you the flowers!"

"Ooh, yes, please!"

He walked her around the pillars and towards where the patch of flowers were. On the way, they passed Teddiursa, who was playfully chasing Cyndaquil. Smiling at how cute it looked, they continued onwards until they reached the flowers.

"Here we are."

"Ooh!" She let go of his paw and hopped around excitedly, observing the petals that were floating in the wind around her. "Wow... so pretty..." She looked around on the grass. "And so many flowers!" She plucked one and smelled it. "Hey, it's the same flower that grows in the Meadow Zone! Except..." She looked around again. "There's so many of them here..."

"That's right," Shaymin said.

Buneary turned in surprise, dropping the flower. "Huh?" She paused a moment, then her eyes started sparkling. "Shaymin? The legendary _Shaymin_?"

Shaymin giggled. "That's me! Although, you make it sound like _I_ was the savior of the PokePark." She winked at Pikachu, who immediately blushed.

Buneary also giggled. "Yeah, I guess so... but still!"

"I'm much like Mew, in that I prefer not to be thought of as particularly special. I like to blend in with regular Pokemon."

"That's so cool!"

Pikachu felt himself getting angry again. "We're on a date, actually," he blurted out.

Buneary blushed, giggling again. "Pikachu!"

"Oh, is that so?" Shaymin asked. "Well, then, don't let _me_ get in the way." She beamed. "Enjoy your date!"

He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, suddenly feeling stupid for getting angry. "Thanks," he replied.

"Oh, what's _that_?" Buneary cried, hopping closer to something that was near Shaymin.

"Oh, that?" Shaymin replied. "That's a Gracidea Flower."

"It's beautiful... The most beautiful flower I've ever seen..."

"These flowers are very rare in the PokePark. I need them to turn into my Sky Forme."

"Huh?" Buneary was still staring at the flower.

Shaymin chuckled. "Just please don't pick it."

"Oh... Oh!" Buneary shook herself out of it. "Of course not!" She paused a second. "Oh, right! The date!" She turned to Pikachu. "Pikachu, can you show me around some more?"

"Sure thing!" He walked over and took her paw again, leading her away from Shaymin.

He continued to lead her through several stone arches and towards what he hoped would be the pinnacle of the date.

"Oh, wow! Is that a _Rayquaza_?"

Pikachu glanced off to the side to see Rayquaza talking to Dragonite. "Yeah, it is. He runs an attraction over there."

"Really? Wow. Gosh, I'm meeting so many legendaries today!"

"Yeah..." He changed directions slightly.

They'd almost reached the cliff edge, where he would finally get to show Buneary the second most amazing thing about the Flower Zone. He could hardly wait.

"Lightning Strike!" Lucario said, striding up to them. They stopped and turned to him. "It has been a while. I wish to play chase with you."

Pikachu sighed in resignation, about to let go of Buneary's paw and accept the offer, but he felt Buneary's grip tighten. He looked at her in surprise.

"Sorry, but he's on a date right now~!" she replied with a wink. "How about some _other_ time?"

Pikachu looked back at Lucario. Lucario blinked, blinked again, then nodded. "I see. I wouldn't wish to disturb your date, Lightning Strike, so perhaps we shall play chase _another_ time." He walked away.

Pikachu turned back to gaze in amazement at his mate. She merely giggled and pulled him along. He felt himself beaming as he walked beside her.

After a short while longer, they eventually exited the string of arches and approached the side of the cliff.

"Careful here, Buneary," he said.

"Okay." They stood on the edge, looking out over the highest point of the PokePark at the sun shining over the clouds. "Wow... it's... beautiful..."

"Yeah, isn't it?"

"I've never seen anything _like_ it..."

He blushed in pure happiness and they fell into a comfortable silence, the two of them simply standing paw-in-paw, while looking over the horizon.

"... Thanks for saying 'yes', Buneary."

She turned and beamed at him, also blushing. "You're welcome... and thanks for taking me to such amazing places... Pikachu." She let go of his paw and hugged him, gently snuggling into his fur.

His blush deepened. "You're welcome, Buneary." After a moment, she giggled. The giggling continued for a while before he got confused. "What's wrong?"

She pulled away, fidgeting with the fur around her waist. "I think I'm crushing on you _already_."

His eyes widened. Had he been physically _able_ to blush more, he _would_ have. He also probably would have fainted from too much blood rushing to his brain.

* * *

After spending a while wandering around the Flower Zone – with Buneary continuously keeping the other Pokemon at bay – the couple were back at the patch of flowers and had made a game out of trying to catch the floating petals.

Pikachu laughed. "Almost!" he said. He jumped up and tried grabbing some, but missed again.

Buneary also laughed. "I nearly had one that time!" she said.

"Enjoying your date, Lightning Strike?" Bellossom asked.

Pikachu stopped jumping around to smile at her. "Yeah, thanks!" he replied. "It's been a lot of fun!"

"Sure has!" Buneary added.

Bellossom smiled. "That's great." She paused. "You know, watching you two reminds me of the bouquet you made me a while back!"

Pikachu paused, his eyes widening in horror. "Um..." He glanced at Buneary, who seemed to be confused.

"Bouquet?" she asked.

"Oh, yes!" Bellossom replied. "He made me a bouquet out of the Flower Zone flowers to become my friend! It was so sweet of him!"

Buneary turned to Pikachu, a slightly suspicious look on her face. "Pikachu?"

Panicking at what she could possibly make of this, he thought of something to say. "Well, um... you see... the thing is..." It was no use! His brain was malfunctioning!

"The thing is, what?"

"Uh..."

He glanced around for something to help him and immediately spotted Meditite nearby. Not even thinking straight, he quickly dashed over on his hind legs and grabbed Meditite by the arm.

"Wah!" Meditite yelped. Upon seeing him, he calmed down. "Oh... it's just you, Lightning Strike."

"Meditite~! Buddy~!" He dragged Meditite over to Buneary and Bellossom. "How about a quiz?"

Meditite blinked at him, then his face lit up in a smile. "Alright, sure! You ready?"

"Ready and waiting!"

"Okay, first question! What three things were you told to collect in the Granite Zone?"

"Um..." His brain would probably work better if he couldn't feel Buneary's eyes boring into the back of his head. "Uh, passwo- I mean, secret words!"

"Correct! Second question! Which of the following Pokemon is tallest? Um... lemme think... Munchlax... Meditite... or... Drifblim?"

He thought about that one for a second. "Drifblim!"

"Correct! Finally... third question! What place does the Pavilion Mirror show?"

How ironic that he'd get a question about this. "The Sky Pavilion!"

"Correct! You got all three right!"

"Yay."

"That was fun. Well, see you later!" Meditite walked away.

Pikachu slowly turned to face Buneary. She was staring at him, an incredulous look on her face. It was as if she wasn't sure whether to find the situation annoying or amusing.

"Um, Pikachu?" she asked.

"Y-Yeah?" he replied.

"What was _that_ all about? Are... you not telling me something?"

Bellossom giggled. "Oh, the poor thing looks so flustered!" she said. "I guess I caused a bit of a stir with what I said. I probably shouldn't have mentioned bouquets in front of his mate." She smiled sadly. "I'm very sorry."

Buneary blinked at her in surprise. "Hmm?"

"I'll... leave you two alone." She quickly shuffled off.

Buneary turned back to Pikachu. "Pikachu? I... thought those flowers were only for _me_..."

"Th-They _were_!" he cried. "I just..." He stared at his foot as he awkwardly scuffed it on the grass. "Bellossom loves flowers... and she really helped me out with getting to the Sky Pavilion... so I made her a bouquet as thanks." He looked up quickly. "But it didn't mean anything! I swear!" His ears drooped. "I've only ever liked _you_ that way..."

Her face relaxed. "You mean it?"

He nodded. "Yeah. I really really like you, Buneary... and no one else." His felt his face getting hot again. Man, he'd really have to find a way to control his blood pressure. This was getting ridiculous.

She gave him a warm smile, then giggled. "You're such a dork, you know that?"

He felt slightly offended by that remark. "Wha-?"

"All you had to do was say that from the start. The more panicky you got, the more things looked weird. Don't you trust me to _trust_ you?"

He blinked, trying to process that question. Once he did, he smiled bashfully. "Well... I guess I _should_, really... I just, you know... I only just _got_ you... I don't wanna lose you so fast."

She giggled again. "You _won't_, you big dork." She shuffled over and hugged him again. "Just so long as you keep trusting that _I'll_ trust _you_."

He chuckled. "Alright, alright..." He could really get used to her hugging him. "So, do you wanna continue with our date?"

"Sure thing, Lightning Dork."

"Heyyyy..."

She giggled again. "Kidding, kidding. Of course I do, Pikachu."

"Alright."

She pulled away. "... And we'll start with _this_!" She gave him a quick shove.

Unprepared for this, he lost his balance. "Wahhh!" He fell over and landed on his back amongst the flowers.

She giggled again, then turned around and gently lay on her back beside him. "Wow, the Flower Zone looks just as pretty from down _here_!"

He felt mildly annoyed at her for a second, then laughed it off. Observing the bright blue sky and the mass of dancing pink petals above his head, he realising that he'd never viewed the zone from this angle before. "Yeah, it does." He folded his arms behind his head and glanced sideways at Buneary. "It really does."


	6. New Beginnings

Author's note: Hi! Well, here it is. The final chapter. I hope you enjoyed the ride! Maybe I'll write a sequel some day. I certainly have an idea for one.

Also, this chapter went through quite a few revisions. Maybe coz I'd had no sleep when I wrote it. Haha.

Please enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter Six: New Beginnings**

The date was finally over. As the two Drifblim touched back down in the Meeting Place, Pikachu felt like he was walking on air. He'd accomplished so much in one day, asking out the girl he liked _and_ going on the perfect date with her. He really couldn't ask for more.

He jumped off Drifblim and turned to her. "Thanks again for the ride!" he said.

"No problem at all," she replied.

He turned to Buneary, but his smile faltered when he saw that, yet again, she had her eyes clenched and was shuddering. "Buneary?" he asked worriedly.

Her eyes snapped open. "Huh?" she asked. She looked around and sighed in relief. "Oh, we're back." She quickly scrambled to get off Drifblim's legs.

He frowned slightly. "Buneary, what's-?"

"Welcome back, sis," a voice said.

Buneary looked up. "Hmm?" she asked. She smiled. "Hey!"

Pikachu turned to see the other Buneary, as well as Lopunny, standing nearby. He smiled at them. "Hey, you two!" he said.

"So!" Lopunny said with a grin. "I hear my little sister's dating Lightning Strike now!"

Buneary giggled. "Yeah, I am," she replied. "How did you know?"

Lopunny giggled, then waved a paw towards the other Buneary. "One guess."

"Shoulda known."

The other Buneary shrugged with a smirk. "Hey, she deserved to know," she said.

"So, did you two enjoy your date?" Lopunny asked.

"Yeah!" Buneary replied, edging away from Drifblim. "It was a lot of fun!"

Lopunny beamed. "That's good to hear." She looked at Pikachu. "Hey, Lightning Strike... look after my little sis, okay?"

Pikachu nodded. "I will," he replied.

"Good!"

Chikorita suddenly came bounding over, Charmander and Piplup following closely behind her. "Hey, Pikachu!" she said. "Have fun on your date?"

"A _lot_ of fun!" he replied. "Thanks!"

"That's great! I'm so happy for you!"

"We _all_ are," Charmander added. "Congrats."

"Thanks, guys," Pikachu replied.

"So, can we go exploring now?" Piplup said excitedly. "I really wanna show you guys Seasong Beach!" He jumped up and down. "I just know you two will love it!"

Buneary turned to Pikachu and blinked. "Huh?" she asked.

"Oh, right," Pikachu said sheepishly, "that." He smiled at Buneary. "Yeah, Piplup found out that there's a whole other PokePark out there and we wanna go explore it!"

"And you're totally invited!" Piplup added, finally standing still.

"Uh..." Buneary replied. Pikachu looked at her to see that she was fidgeting. Her two sisters were also giving each other awkward glances. "Well..."

"Me and Charmander are staying behind," Chikorita said, beaming, "but I'm sure you, Pikachu and Piplip will have a _great_ time!"

"Yeah..."

Pikachu wondered if, maybe, Buneary was tired and didn't want to admit it. He turned to Piplup. "Uh, maybe this should wait until tomorrow?" he said. "We've had a long day."

Piplup's face fell. "Aww..." he replied, "okay..."

Pikachu turned back to his mate and held out a paw. "Shall I walk you back, Buneary?"

She looked at him. "Huh?" she asked. After a moment, she smiled and took his paw. "Sure."

"Then I guess we'll see you back here tomorrow, sis?" Lopunny asked.

She glanced back at her. "Yeah... sure..."

"Come on," Pikachu said, leading her away.

* * *

The next day, Pikachu ran excitedly through the Meadow Zone. Today was the day! He was going to go exploring with one of his best friends and his new mate. It was beyond thrilling. What would he find in this new PokePark? He could hardly wait to find out.

Once he spotted Buneary, who was sitting in-between the two Pachirisu brothers, his smile widened. "Hey! Buneary!" he called out, standing on his hind legs and walking towards her.

She looked up and he waved. "Oh, hey, Pikachu," she replied.

"Hi, Lightning Strike!" one of the Pachirisu said.

"Wanna play chase?" the other asked.

"Not right now, guys," Pikachu replied. He stopped beside them. "Mind if I talk to Buneary?"

"Oh, sure!" the first Pachirisu said. He turned to the other one. "Let's go, bro!"

"Okay!" the other Pachirisu replied. They stood up and dashed off on all four paws together.

Pikachu beamed at Buneary. "Ready to go?" he asked.

"... Um..." she replied, "well..."

He gave her a curious look. "Hmm?"

She looked away, fidgeting with the fur around her waist. "Um..."

Concerned, he sat next to her. "What's wrong, Buneary?" he asked.

"Well..." She didn't continue.

"Buneary?" She didn't respond. "I thought you'd be really excited about the idea of exploring the other PokePark... but... you don't _seem_ to be..."

"I'm sorry... I just..."

He paused a moment, remembering the day before. "And you seemed so scared riding Drifblim yesterday..." He envisioned the Pikachu balloon and a thought occurred to him. His eyes widened. "You're not... afraid of heights, are you?"

She heaved a sigh. "Well... kind of..." She paused. "See, like I said yesterday, I get scared of new things... and I've never been that high up before... It really spooked me..."

His ears drooped. "Oh, I'm so sorry... I should have figured that out..." He glanced down at the grass. "And I made you go really high up _four times_... Some mate _I_ am..."

"Hey, don't worry." He looked up and saw her smiling weakly at him. "You were trying so hard, I really couldn't say 'no'... and they were such amazing places you showed me... I'm just a big scaredy cat."

"You're not..."

"No, I _am_. I was born in the Meadow Zone, but I'm the only one of my family still living here." She looked down at the grass again. "My mom and dad moved elsewhere, Lopunny moved to the Granite Zone and Buneary moved to the Meeting Place..." She paused. "I do, occasionally, switch places with Buneary, 'cause she likes confusing Pokemon in the Meadow Zone by pretending to be _me_... which _is_ pretty fun, I must admit... but, other than that, I don't spend much time anywhere else." She paused again, then looked up at him. "All those places you mentioned yesterday... I've never even _seen_ them... It got me thinking... just how much of the PokePark _haven't_ I seen?"

"Buneary..."

"I... I'm not ready to see _another_ PokePark yet. Maybe one day, but... not right now... The thought of seeing somewhere new terrifies me..." A fierce determination suddenly appeared in her eyes. "So, I think... I need to explore _this_ PokePark first. _You've_ only been here a couple of months, yet you've already seen much more of it than _I_ have."

He blinked, in complete awe of this new attitude. "Wow... what brought _this_ on?"

She relaxed her gaze and smiled. "Well... _you_ did."

He blinked again, this time in confusion. "Me?"

She nodded. "Mmm-hmm! You showed me some amazing places that I'd never even known existed... and I'm really grateful for that... It made me realise what a... sheltered life I've led." She blushed. "There's a lot I have to learn about the PokePark... so, before I move onto _other_ places, I wanna conquer my fear of the unknown... by exploring every inch of _this_ PokePark!"

He blushed, extremely flattered by this. "Wow..." After a moment, a thought occurred to him. He shook his head and bore the same fierce determination that she'd just been wearing. "Then I'll stay here!"

She blinked at him. "Huh?"

"I won't go to the other park!" He smiled and held both of her paws in his own. "I'll stay here, with you, and help you overcome your fear!"

She stared at him in awe for a few moments, then giggled. "That's awfully sweet of you, but you don't need to do that."

"But-"

"Hey, you really wanna go see the other PokePark, right? Well, I say you should go."

"But... we only just got together yesterday..."

"I know that, but I don't wanna stop you from doing what you wanna do." His shoulders slumped. "Besides, this is probably something I should do myself."

His ears perked up in curiosity. "Hmm?"

She beamed. "It's the best _way_ to conquer a fear, right?"

He smiled weakly in return. "Well, it doesn't _have_ to be..."

She shook her head. "No, I insist. Go have fun with Piplup. I'll see you when you get back."

He opened his mouth to protest, but the look in her eyes made him close it again. He chuckled. "Alright, alright... if you're sure."

She nodded. "I am."

"... Let no one tell you that you're a scaredy cat." He hesitated, then leaned his forehead against hers. Her eyes widened in surprise. "Okay?"

She blushed again, even harder this time, then giggled. "Okay."

"Will you still come to see me off?"

"Of course I will."

"Awwww, that's so cute!" one of the Pachirisu called out.

Pikachu immediately flushed bright red. Buneary giggled at him.

* * *

"You're not _coming_?" Piplup asked in dismay.

"Sorry, no," Buneary replied. "I've got _other_ stuff I need to do _here_." She winked at Pikachu. He smiled encouragingly back at her.

Piplup looked at Pikachu. "_You're_ still coming, right?"

Pikachu glanced at Buneary, who nodded at him. He looked back at Piplup and grinned. "Of course!" he replied. "I'm not passing _this_ up!"

"'Other stuff'?" Lopunny asked quizzically. Pikachu looked up at her.

"Yup!" Buneary replied. "I'm gonna explore _this_ PokePark!"

Her eyes widened. "Really?"

"Well, _that's_ surprising..." the other Buneary said.

Buneary giggled. "I know," she replied, "but it's something I need to do." Both sisters' eyes narrowed a fraction. "Oh, don't worry! I _insisted_ Pikachu go without me!"

Pikachu felt himself shrink under the silent accusation. Both sisters relaxed their glares.

"Well, it's time to go!" Piplup said, jumping into the balloon basket. "I can't wait to show you around, Pikachu! It's gonna be so exciting!"

Pikachu shared one last glance with his mate. "Well..." he said, "see you when I see you."

She beamed and nodded. "Yup!" she replied. She hugged him. "See you, Pikachu."

He hugged back, a pleasant warmth enveloping his chest. "See you, Buneary."

He held the hug for a while, before breaking away. Walking towards the Pikachu balloon, he hopped into the basket next to Piplup. The penguin fidgeted with the interior for a few moments, before the balloon began to ascend into the sky.

"Have fun, you two!" Chikorita called out.

"Yeah," Charmander added, "and be sure to tell us all about it when you get back!"

"You bet!" Piplup replied.

"Bye, Pikachu!" Buneary called out, waving goodbye.

Pikachu waved back. "Bye, Buneary!" he replied. "See you when I get back!"

"You'd better have some good stories to tell!"

"You too!"

She giggled, waving with both paws now. "Bye!"

He mimicked her, waving with both paws. "Bye!"

Soon, the Pikachu balloon had sailed over the horizon and the Meeting Place was no longer in view. Turning away, Pikachu focused on where they were heading and felt his adventurous spirit burn brighter than ever. Only Piplup knew where they were going, and what they were going to see, but the unknown excited him like nothing else could. Maybe, one day, Buneary could share his passion. He silently wished her luck in her quest to conquer her fear.

He caught Piplup's eye and the two childhood friends shared a grin. He knew, without even asking, that Piplup felt just as excited about this as _he_ did. He wondered what the penguin had in store for him. Looking back towards their destination, he leaned his weight against the edge of the basket and pondered the possibilites. Whatever happened, though, he was certain it was going to be fun.

**The End**


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